This is an amazing book about a young girl, Billie Jo, growing up in America during the Dust Bowl of the 1930's. Billie Jo experiences unbelievable hardship and trauma for any person to go through, let alone of a girl of her age. The main event in the book is probably when her mother dies and she must learn to forgive herself and everyone around her for the way hardship touches peoples lives and changes them. Both Billie Jo and her father eventually learn to live again and not give up.
This book is written through a series of poems Billie Jo writes in her diary about her day to day life. Hesse is a master of conveying a lot of emotion through few words. Billie Jo is characterized so well you feel as though you know her, her personality reflects the way people had to react to the dust storms after having their hopes repeatedly dashed. She is very matter of fact but you can feel her dissapointment when things go horrible wrong again and again.
I would definitely use this book in class to help teach about the Dust Bowl and it's impact on people affected by it.
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